Tamar Wetlands

I live close to the conjunction of the North Esk, South Esk and Tamar Rivers in the Tamar Valley, Northern Tasmania in an area formerly known as the ‘Swamp’ and this area has influenced many of my recent artworks. I love the peacefulness of the area, the walking paths and the variety of birdlife. The conservation area of West Tamar Wetlands has a two-century colonial history of dredging; in 1926 fourteen vessels, mostly barges, were sunk between Tamar Island and the foreshore to increase the water flow to help scour the main channel for shipping navigation. Some of these wrecks are still visible today from aerial maps but only the tallest – a bucket dredge ‘Platypus’ can be seen above
the mudflats. In my recent paintings of the wetlands I have been experimenting with abstracting imagery using horizontal colour bands incorporating mudflats, grasses, water pools, wrecks and birdlife – and my painting Tamar Wetlands has all these elements.